Shelf support rack



June 1, 1965 H. GLOWA 3,

SHELF SUPPORT RACK Filed June 7, 1963 HENRY GLOWA.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent bard 3,186,559 SIELF SUPPURT RACK Henry Glowa, 1114- Comox St., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Filed June 7, 1963, Ser. No. 286,412 4 Claims. (Cl. 211l5tl) This invention relates to a support rack for shelves particularly for the display of ornaments and the like in the home or in retail stores.

In the display of articles in retail stores and the like and in the display of ornaments in the home, the use of shelves, preferably glass, in conjunction with a mirror backing is in common use. However, in order to take the fullest advantage of the above, it has been found that the display characteristics can be greatly enhanced by providing a means whereby the mirror may be biased outwardly at different angles from the wall, dependent upon the difference in elevation between the level of the eye and the shelves. This naturally requires that the shelves be made adjustable in respect of the dihedral angle between the mirror and shelves in order that said shelves be disposed in a horizontal position independently of the angle of bias of the backing. In order to provide a device which will obtain the above and still not detract from the overall appearance of the shelf and mirror arrangement, the supporting elements must be light, capable of ease of assembly and adjustment, and must be very inexpensive. The present invention attains the desired cha-racteristics by providing a supporting rack in which the dihedral angle between the shelves and backing, is easily and quickly adjustable and, which in order to maintain a pleasing appearance, is constructed so that the only visible supports are relatively thin, yet give the strength required.

The present invention comprises a substantially vertically disposed backing element having a series of vertically spaced seats, said element being adapted to be connected to a wall or the like, means carried by the backing element operable to adjustably position the latter between a vertical position and a position wherein said element is biased outwardly from the wall, a shelf supporting element pivotally connected at one end to the backing element being adapted to be arranged in a normal horizontal position, a brace operatively connected to the shelf supporting element and pivoted for angular movement and adapted to engage any one of said seats when said shelf supporting element is arranged in its normal position.

In the drawings which show the embodiments of the invention,

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of all components of the supporting rack showing, partially in section, the shelves and mirror positioned thereon.

Referring to the drawings the figure generally represents a shelf support rack, all the component elements of which are preferably metallic, for strength and lightness.

Rack 10 in the present example is comprised of a backing element 12 to which is aflixed an upper shelf support 13, a centre shelf support 14, and a lower shelf support 15. The backing element 12 is a rectangularly shaped frame, the side members 17 and 18 of which are made up of two elongated strips of stock material placed back to back and fastened together by bolts and nuts 19, 20, 21 and 22.. Strips 17 are partially cut away at their lower ends 24 to form two interior recesses 26, the bridging sections 28 of said lower ends being of relatively narrow width and serving in a manner to be described hereafter. Upper ends 30 of side members 17 and 18 are spaced apart by a transverse connector 32 being securely fastened by nuts and bolts 22.

3,l%,559 Patented June 1, i965 The centre and lower shelf supports 14 and 15 respectively, are preferably formed of relatively stiff wire, such as copper wire or brass, which is sufiiciently ductile to be bent into the various shapes as hereinafter described. Centre shelf support 14 is formed in substantially a U-shape having a base 34 and spaced parallel arms 35, said arms being bent near their outer extremities 37 to form loops 38 and said outer extremities 37 being bent upwardly to form stops 39. The centre shelf support 14 is connected to side members 18, the base 34 of said support being held pivotally captive by shackles 4d formed in the reversed side of side members 18. The arms 35 of the centre support are held outwardly in a horizontal position by braces 42, said braces being again formed of a ductile wire and having a loop 44 formed in the upper end thereof, loops 38 and 44 being connected by rivets 46.'

The wire which forms brace 42 is carried inwardly and downwardly towards the side members 17 and 18 and looped adjacent thereto to form loops 460, the latter being adapted to rotatably receive the ends 47 of a horizontal transverse rod Ell, said transverse rod being confined against vertical movement in a pair of seats 52 which are part of a series of vertically spaced seats formed in said members 13. The braces 42 are then bent outwardly and downwardly away from said side members to form hangers 53. The wires are then bent at the outer extremity of the hangers and carried back substantially horizontally, said wire passing through the recesses 26 and connected to a transverse rod 53a, the latter having end sections 53b bent to extend backwardly over the shelf support 15, to thereby form the lower shelf support 15. Both centre 14 and lower 15 shelf supports are provided with lateral ties 54 having upturned ends 56 welded or otherwise fasten-ed thereto, said upturned ends serving as lateral stops for centre shelf 57 and lower shelf 59.

The upper shelf support 13 comprises a pair of U shaped brackets 62, the legs 63 of which are relatively short and form lateral stops for upper shelf 55, the bases 66 of which are slidably gripped for movement in a direction normal to the surface of a Wall when the rack is hung thereon, by elongated hollow holders 67. The holders are pivotally connected at their inner ends 68 to a transverse support 69, said transverse support, in the preferred form, being composed of copper wire or the like, and which is bent into a modified U-shaped form, the ends of the legs being looped around bolts 22 and rigidly confined between the transverse connector 32 and side members 18. The base 73 of the transverse support is suitably bent to form shoulders 75, said shoulders preventing transverse movement of the holders 67 and to thereby retain said holders in spaced parallel disposition. The upper shelf Support is braced outwardly from the rack by a brace 77, said brace being, in the preferred form, composed of wire, such as copper wire, and bent into a U-shape having legs 79 and a base 80. The legs 79 are suitably bent at their ends 82 to form elongated loops 83 which slidably grip the holders 67. The base is pivotally supported in loops 85 formed near the upper ends of a pair of vertical connectors 35, the lower ends of said connectors being supported by the transverse rod 50. The vertical connectors 86 are disposed in spaced parallel relationship, being slidably retained in position by a pair of U-shaped clips 89 bolted to the side members 18 by bolts and nuts 20.

As indicated in the foregoing description, the rack 10 is designed to be supported on a wall or the like. In order that the rack may be biased at various predetermined angles outwardly away from the wall, a fastener, which in the preferred form is a chain $9, is affixed at one end 92 CD thereof to the transverse connector 32. The individual links ofv the chain will provide the desired flexibility in connecting the rack to a hook or the like from which the rack may be supported.

In assembling the rack shelves and mirror 93, the shelves 57 and 59 are made of suflicient Widthandlength such that they will snugly fit on their appropriate supports within the upturned ends of said supports, shelf 59 fitting beneath end sections 53b of transverse rod 53a, and will leave suflicient space between their inner edges and the side members 17 for a mirror 93 to be fitted therebetween, the mirror being of sufiicient width that it is snugly slidable between the arms 35 of centre support 14 and the end sections 53b of the transverse rod 53a, and will rest upon and be supported by lower shelf support 15. The upper shelf 65 is made of sufficient width that it will lie snugly between the legs 63 of U-bracket 62. The rack is then bring upon the wall by looping a link of the chain 92 over any suitable projections, such as a nail or hook 1 or the like, and the shelf disposed in a horizontal position by loosening bolts and nuts 19, positioning the transverse rod 50 in the desired-seats,- then Iet-i'ghtening said bolts and nuts. It will be seen that any vertical movement of said transverse rod will impart a like movement to the brace 77 and corresponding movement to the upper shelf support 13. All shelves, therefore, can be moved and set simultaneously in a horizontal position by proper positioning. of said transverse rod 50 in the appropriate seats.

, What I claim as my invention is:

1. An adjustable shelf support rackcornprising a substantially vertically disposed backing element having a series of vertically spaced seats, said element being adapted to be connected to a wall or the like,- a horizontally disposed rod adapted to be selectively positioned in any one of said seats, means carried by the backing element operable to adjustably position the latter between a vertical position and a position wherein said element is inclined outwardly from the wall, a pair of centrally spaced shelf supporting elements pivotal-1y connected to the backing element and being adapted to be arranged in a normal parallel horizontal position, a brace connected at an outer end to the upper shelf support element adjacent the outer end'thereof for angular movement, a hanger connected at an outer end adjacent the outer end of the lower shelf supporting element, said brace and said hanger being pivotally connected at their inner ends to the rod, said seats being disposed so'that the rod may be positioned in a selected one of them when the shelf supporting elements arearranged in their normal position.

2. An adjustable shelf support rack as claimed in claim 1 including a third shelf support element pivotally connected to the backing element and'being adapted tobe arranged in a position parallel to said pair of shelf supporting elements, a pair of elongated connectors reach of which is connected at one of its ends to the rod and being slidably secured to the vertical supports for vertical movement, and a U-shaped brace having a base and extending legs pivotally connected at its base to the other ends of the connectors and being connected at the free ends of its legs to the third shelf supporting element whereby the angular position of each of the shelves relative to the vertical supports may be adjusted before the rod is engaged with the seats to holdall the shelf supporting elements in an adjusted position;

3. An adjustable shelf support rack comprising a vertically disposed backing element comprised of a pair of spaced vertical supports, each having a series of horizontally paired vertically spaced seats, means to connect the backing element to a wall or the like, means carried by the backing element operable to position the latter between a vertical position and a position wherein said element is biased outwardly from thewall, a horizontal support rod adapted to be selectively positioned in any pair of horizontally paired seats, a pair of vertically spaced U-shaped shelf supporting'elements pivotally connected at the base thereof to thevert'ical supports, the legs of which are adapted to be positioned in a normal parallel and horizontal position, a 'paircof braces each connected at their outer; ends to each leg of the upper shelf support element adjacent the outer ends thereof for angular movement, a pair of hangers each connected at their outer ends to the legs of the lower shelf support element adjacent the outerends thereof for angular movement, said braces and said hangers beingcon'nected at the inner ends to the horizontal support rod, to thereby support the shelf support elements in said normal position.

4. An adjustable shelf support rack as claimed in claim 3 including a third shelf support element pivotally connected to the backing element ,and being adapted to be arranged in a position parallelto said pair of shelf supporting elements, a pair of elongated connectors each of which is connected at one of its ends to the rod' and being slid-ably secured to the vertical supports for vertical movement, and a U-shaped brace having a base and extending legs pivotally connected at its base to the other ends of theco'nnectors and being connected at the free ends of its legs to the third shelf supporting element whereby the angular position of each of the shelves relative to the vertical supports may be adjusted before the rod is engaged with the seats to hold all the shelf supporting elements in an adjusted position.

References Cited by'th'e Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 442,498 12/90 Tennison- 211* X 783,622 2/05 Curtis 2l1 90 906,809 12/08 Lillibrid ge 211-90 X 1,554,137 9/25 Slifkin 21l -1'50?X 2,319,499 5/43' Ge'issler 1-'08+-6 3,045,831 7/62 Pendergrast 211-150X CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Ex'alr'zi'lzerk 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE SHELF SUPPORT RACK COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED BACKING ELEMENT HAVING A SERIES OF VERTICALLY SPACED SEATS, SAID ELEMENT BEING ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A WALL OR THE LIKE, A HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED ROD ADAPTED TO BE SELECTIVELY POSITIONED IN ANY ONE OF SAID SEATS, MEANS CARRIED BY THE BACKING ELEMENT OPERABLE TO ADJUSTABLY POSITION THE LATTER BETWEEN A VERTICAL POSITION AND A POSITION WHEREIN SAID ELEMENT IS INCLINED OUTWARDLY FROM THE WALL, A PAIR OF CENTRALLY SPACED SHELF SUPPORTING ELEMENTS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE BACKING ELEMENT AND BEING ADAPTED TO BE ARRANGED IN A NORMAL PARALLEL HORIZONTAL POSITION, A BRACE CONNECTED AT AN OUTER END TO THE UPPER SHELF SUPPORT ELEMENT ADJACENT THE OUTER END THEREOF FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT, A HANGER CONNECTED AT AN OUTER END ADJACENT THE OUTER END OF THE LOWER SHELF SUPPORTING ELEMENT, SAID BRACE AND SAID HANGER BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT THEIR INNER ENDS TO THE ROD, SAID SEATS BEING DISPOSED SO THAT THE ROD MAY BE POSITIONED IN A SELECTED ONE OF THEM WHEN THE SHELF SUPPORTING ELEMENTS ARE ARRANGED IN THEIR NORMAL POSITION. 